Latvia - Art Nouveau movement in Europe

The architectural and artistic answer to the literary Modernist movement that began in the late 19th century was the Art Nouveau movement in Europe. The Art Nouveau movement reached its peak in the early 20th century, which is when the majority of Riga’s Art Nouveau houses were built, beginning in 1899. Riga’s term for the movement, Jugendstil, comes from the German and Scandinavian movement named after the avant-garde periodical Jugend (“Youth”). Unlike the stiffer sensibilities of Victorian style, Art Nouveau stressed a complete creative freedom, mixing fantastic elements with a tendency to show all utilitarian construction elements as artistic value, with very characteristic elements such as dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines and geometrical ornaments. In Riga, Art Nouveau could be split into two main directions, decorative and romantic-nationalistic Art Nouveau. Vera sent this historical card to me.

USA - Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the then-United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and more than met the Air Corps' expectations. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the Air Corps was so impressed with Boeing's design that they ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances.

The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force based at Thorpe Abbotts airfield in England and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in Operation Pointblank to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for Operation Overlord. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields. Truus sent me this card.

Finland - Suomen Joutsen

Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland in English) (former names are Laënnec, Oldenburg) is a three-mast, steel hull, full rigged ship. She was built in 1902 in St. Nazaire, France to serve in the trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports. In 1930 she was bought by the Government of Finland to serve as Finnish Navy training ship. Before World War II she made eight long ocean voyages. From 1956 she was a stationary Seamen's School for the Finnish Merchant Navy. Since 1991, she has been a museum ship owned by City of Turku, Finland. This nice maxi card was sent to me by Sointu.

Waiting for One's Ship

That's Your's Truly waiting for his Ship to come home !!! Thank you Ella.

Lithuania – Light Houses at Uostadvaris and Pervalka

Uostadvaris village is situated 5 kilometers from Rusnė, on the left riverbank of Atmata River, in the island of Rusnė. It is a part of Nemunas estuary Regional Park. In 1907 the water-lifting station was built here. It is a steam turbine, which absorbs the water excess from grasslands and pours it to Nemunas River. There are a lighthouse (shown on the Left of the display) and a polder museum in Uostadvaris. Lighthouse is no longer used for navigation, but now it is the best place to view the panorama of Uostadvaris. 

The Lighthouse at Pervalka is also known as the Lighthouse of  horses. It was built in 1900, in the Curonian Gulf near Pervalka. The lighthouse has bee rebuilt twice. Now, it operates automatically, and hence the lighthouse keepers come to check it only occasionally. This is the only lighthouse in the Curonian Lagoon that is not built on land, but, on an artificial island.

These two maxi cards were sent to me by good friend Raimonda. The stamps on the cover in which she sent me these cards is also displayed. Aren’t they lovely, these stamps?

Finland - Tammio

This is a painting of a model of a fishing vessel from Tammio off the South Coast of Finland. The artist Erkki Sandberg is an old friend of My friend Merja who sent me this card.

Australia - Wollongong Head Lighthouses

Wollongong Harbour is the only point on the eastern coast of Australia which has two lighthouses at a lovely seaside town called Shell harbour, which is about an hour and a half’s drive South of Sydney on the East coast of Australia Located on Flagstaff Point the newer lighthouse on Wollongong Head assists the passage of vessels into Port Kembla.  Completed in 1936, by the Department of Shipping and Transport, it was the first new lighthouse in New South Wales since 1903. The tower is constructed of reinforced concrete and replaced several earlier lights.  It was built to service as a coastal light and Port Kembla, to the south of Flagstaff Point. Up until now the only aid had been the old Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse situated on the Belmore Basin to the north. The lighthouse was built in 1871, is situated in the Belmore Basin on the southern breakwater The Breakwater light was discontinued in 1974. This card was sent to me by Emma.